Insanity
by SadBrokenWings
Summary: The backstory of my oneshot “You.” As Kagome grows closer to Hojo, all seems well. They are the best of friends, their relationship begins to bloom but, when Kagome brings up the REAL reasons she misses so much school, things take a nosedive. Very angsty,


**DISCLAIMER: I do not own InuYasha or Yu Yu Hakusho**

A/N: Yay! Lookit! A back-story! O.o Maybe I'm a little too chipper for this story…

_**oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo**_

_Summary: _The back-story of my oneshot "You." As Kagome grows closer to Hojo, all seems well. They are the best of friends, their relationship begins to bloom but, when Kagome brings up the REAL reasons she misses so much school, things take a nosedive. Very angsty, semi-happy ending, you'll have to reread "You" for the actually happiness.

_**oOo**_

Kagome was sitting at her desk, sighing unhappily as the math teacher wrote another problem up on the board that she didn't understand. It was truly frustrating, traveling to the Feudal Era had completely thrown her behind in her classes, not to mention any work she got done while she was away got destroyed by one demon or another. It was enough to drive a girl up the wall!

Her three friends, who she didn't see quite as much as she used to, didn't help her out anymore. She supposed that they found her to be taking advantage of their _'kindness.'_ Kagome snorted, what her friends did would only be considered kindness if sharing their notes in exchange for some expensive hamburgers became the new definition of kind. Because of that, Kagome was broke on top of feeling completely stupid.

As she was copying the last question from the board, the bell rang and she hurriedly attempted to finish copying down her homework before she was late for her next class.

"Higurashi!"

Kagome groaned, it was Hojo, the one boy that was, sadly, the only friend she had left. With a fake smile plastered on her face, Kagome looked up from her paper.

"Oh! Hello, Hojo!" She began to scramble to gather all of her things together in preparation to head to her next class.

"I'm glad to see you are feeling better! Does this mean you would be willing to go out with me this Saturday?" He asked as he picked up a few of her books in order to escort her to class.

"Uhm…" Kagome wasn't certain if she was going to accept his invitation. She didn't exactly have reason to turn him down, and besides, InuYasha wouldn't need her for a few more days.

"Sure, why not?"

"Great! I'll come by the shrine tomorrow at six then?" Hojo's smile had widened.

"Sure, I'll see you tomorrow then." Kagome said, entering her classroom, then she stopped and turned around.

"Oh, Hojo!" She called, watching him swing around to face her.

"Yes?"

"Where are we going tomorrow, so I know what to where. And…do you mind if I take my books back now?" She added with a girlish giggle.

"Of course, how silly of me to walk off with them like that!" Hojo blushed and handed her the textbooks.

"And, as to where we're going, it's a surprise but you can dress in whatever you like. Casual, would be best, I think."

The second bell rang and both teens scooted off to their classes with hasty goodbyes thrown to each other.

_**oOo**_

"Momma! Have you seen my sundress?" Kagome hollered down the stairs as she rushed from the bathroom and into her bedroom in nothing but a towel.

She was throwing clothes all over the place as she dug through her closet for her dress. It was spring and the perfect time to wear the new dress her aunt had bought her for her 16th birthday. It had a little jacket and everything and now she couldn't find it! She could _swear _she had just seen it.

"Dear, have you checked the clothes in your dresser? I believe I remember you putting it in your underwear drawer." Mrs. Higurashi called up in her singing tone.

Of course! Her aunt had bought her the dress in fall, when it was too cold to wear it, so she had put it away for later. In her underwear drawer. That explained why she had seen it, it was always there every time she came back from the Feudal Era to get new clothes.

"Thanks Mom!"

Kagome snatched her dress, the jacket, bra and panties and scurried back into the bathroom. It was ten minutes to six and she was nowhere near ready for her date with Hojo. She still had to dry her hair and get dressed.

In her haste to get ready, Kagome had forgotten to shut the bathroom door and, just as she dropped her towel, Souta walked by. He stood stock-still for a second, gaping at his naked sister as she gaped back at him. In less time that it took InuYasha to hit the ground after Kagome 'sat' him, the door to the bathroom was slammed shut.

"_Ewww!!! Mom, I saw Kagome naked!" _Souta shouted on the other side of the door, completely mortified, as was Kagome.

"Souta! When I get back tonight I'm going to kill you!" Kagome threatened before getting back to her task at hand.

Kagome snickered as she heard Souta run down the stairs as she pulled her underwear on. She fought with the clasp of her bra for a few precious minutes, cursing the contraption for all it was worth. After sliding her dress on and zipping it up with little difficulty, Kagome set to drying her hair. Her hair was half dry when she head the doorbell ring.

She let out a cry of frustration and just let her hair stay damp. It looked better that way, anyway. She charged out of the bathroom and dropped all her dirty clothes in her laundry hamper in her bedroom. As she was dashing down the stairs, Kagome was pulling her jacket on and tripped on one of the final stairs.

"Eep!" She tumbled right into Hojo, who staggered backward a little when she landed in his arms.

Her face was flushed from all her rushing, not to mention the fact that she was blushing from embarrassment at nearly bowling over poor Hojo. She blew her bangs out of her face and looked up to see the most beautiful brown eyes. She had never really gotten close enough to Hojo to really notice just how dazzling his eyes really were. They shined with innocence and mirth, dancing as he laughed at her. Wait, he was laughing at her?

"It's not funny!" Kagome wailed, "I could've died, or I could've hurt you!"

"But you're fine and I'm fine, so it's funny." Hojo reasoned, still chuckling as he released his hold on Kagome to allow her to stand on her own.

Kagome let out a small giggle, it was _kind of _funny. When they both stopped laughing, Kagome finished putting her jacket on and grabbed Hojo's hand, leading him to the door. After slipping on her shoes Kagome turned and waved to her family.

"Goodbye guys! I'll see you tonight!"

Mrs. Higurashi and Grandpa waved, but Souta didn't. He was still embarassed from his earlier encounter with her. Now _that _was funny. With another goodbye wave from Hojo, they were off. Kagome was still in the dark about their destination, but Hojo had said to dress casual so it couldn't be so bad.

"We're getting close, so I want you to close your eyes; I want this to be a surprise."

Kagome glanced over and found that she couldn't say no to Hojo's hopeful expression and complied. Her compliance didn't come without hesitation, which didn't go unnoticed by Hojo. He was quite observant; one would have to wonder how he never noticed the fact that she wasn't ever really sick.

Hojo placed on hand on the middle of her back and held on of her hands in his own as a means to lead her. It didn't take long for them to reach their destination, which Kagome was thankful for. She didn't like not knowing things.

"Okay, open your eyes."

Kagome did just that and blinked once, then twice, to remove the blurriness from her vision. After her eyes had righted themselves, Kagome finally realized just where they were.

"It's a carnival! Oh, I haven't been to one of these in ages! Thank you Hojo!" Kagome exclaimed cheerily, her excitement causing her to hug Hojo.

Hojo blushed, "I had a feeling you would like it. What better way to spend an evening?"

Kagome glanced over, Hojo seemed genuinely happy that _she _was happy. InuYasha was never that way with her, he was always so harsh and demanding and rude! Maybe Hojo wasn't so bad after all, maybe she should really get to know him better before she pushed him away. Besides, InuYasha wasn't going to turn his attitude around, so why not look for someone better suited to her needs?

"Come on, they're plenty to do, no reason to stand around here when the fun's over there!" Hojo encouraged, gently grasping her hand and leading her off towards some random booth.

He took her on the all the rides she pointed out, his smile never leaving his face, and he even won her a giant teddy bear that had brown eyes just like his. It was a great night all around and Kagome was glad she had gone out with him.

They were sitting on the Ferris Wheel, not quite at the top but not at the bottom either, when Hojo asked an unexpected question.

"Kagome, can I- can I kiss you?" He was blushing profusely but he was still looking at her.

She had no idea what to say, even after tonight, she didn't see Hojo as anything more than a friend. Over time, that might change, but right now she just wanted to stay friends. But he looked so…there wasn't even a word for the look he was giving her now, and it melted her heart.

"Hojo I, I know that you like me, but I don't quite feel that way about you. Do you mind if we just stay friends, at least for a while?" She sighed and looked up at the sky, not wanting to look at Hojo's face, "Maybe someday later my feelings will change, but for now, let's just be friends, huh?"

Kagome was afraid to look at him, for fear he would be angry with her, like InuYasha tended to be almost all of the time, but she was in for a surprise. Hojo laid one hand over hers on the safety bar and smiled in her direction. She looked over to see him almost as happy as he usually was; his eyes had dimmed a little though.

"Don't worry, I would wait for you forever Kagome, even if I am destined only to be your friend, I will still care for you like no one else can."

There was a fierce determination in his voice that would have scared Kagome had it been any other person speaking in that manner. But, with Hojo, it was very endearing. Now she felt horrible about turning him down like that. So, to relieve herself of that bad feeling, and to brighten Hojo's eyes again, she leaned over and kissed him on the cheek.

Both teens were blushing still when they finally stepped off of the Ferris Wheel and headed home. Hojo saw her to her door like a perfect gentleman and watched her go inside before turning and heading home on his own.

_**oOo**_

It had been approximately four months since that date at the carnival, if Kagome even thought of it as a date anymore, and she and Hojo were the closest friends. It was an unexpected occurrence, Kagome hadn't expected to get so close to Hojo, but sometimes fate had a strange way of doing things. Heck, she was closer to Hojo then she had ever been with Ayumi, Yuka and Eri.

Now, she and Hojo were sitting together in a restaurant, heads close together as they went over the notes Hojo had taken in class for her. He still thought she was sick and he still brought her gifts that were supposed to help her get better, that part of their relationship never changed, and that hurt Kagome.

With Ayumi, Yuka and Eri, Kagome never told the girls about her adventures in the past because the three of them were highly known for their gossip skills. Hojo would never spill someone's secret to anyone, he was good like that. Not to mention they were so close that you could practically see the other person glued to their hip.

Kagome sighed, catching Hojo's attention as well as concern.

"Higurashi, are you alright?" He asked, pencil paused on the paper.

"Huh? Oh, yes, just thinking is all. And didn't you stop calling me 'Higurashi' quite a while ago?" She asked, wondering about his use of her last name.

Hojo grinned, "Yeah, but sometimes it's the only thing that works with you."

Kagome smiled back, even though her heart was cracking on the inside. He was so sweet to her, never lied, and she was keeping the biggest secret ever from him. She wasn't sure if she could keep going on like this. It wasn't in her nature to hide things from people, her lying skills had improved ever since she started to travel to the Feudal Era but that didn't mean she enjoyed lying.

"So, where were we?" Kagome asked, not wanting to think anymore. At least, not about that subject, she still had a big math test coming up.

"Ah yes!" Hojo went back to explaining the math problems their class was currently working on and Kagome nearly groaned. High school was so hard!

_**oOo**_

For their six-month friendship anniversary, Hojo and Kagome went to see the movie of one of their favorite manga and then they hung around the park for a while. It was just starting to get dark, the sunset painting a beautiful scene for them.

"Kagome?" Hojo began, still looking at the sunset, "You know you can tell me anything, right?"

Her heart lurched in her chest, Hojo seemed a little hurt when he said that and Kagome knew that it was all her fault.

"O-of course Hojo! But why would you bring that up now?" Kagome laughed nervously.

Hojo turned and looked at her, his expression far too serious for him to be _Hojo_ and his eyes were rather sad. Kagome's half-smile faded and she couldn't help but feel sad as well.

"It's just, I feel that you are hiding something from me. I don't want you to feel you can't tell me something, I'll always be there for you, to take care of you, no matter what."

Kagome could only nod, her body feeling numb with uncertainty and indecision. She didn't even register Hojo walking her home until they were already at her door. When he was just turning to leave, Kagome called him back.

"Hojo, wait! You're right, there is something I've been meaning to tell you, it's just not an easy thing to say. Come inside, I'll tell you there." Kagome saw Hojo's eyes lighten slightly and smiled a bit in return.

After greeting her mother, brother and grandfather, Kagome showed Hojo up to her bedroom and sat down on her bed.

"You might want to sit down; this is quite a hard story to believe." She patted on the mattress, scooting over a smidge to give him some room.

"Don't worry Kagome, you can tell me."

Kagome took a deep, shaky breath and let it out. Then she told him everything, about her friends and her travels, she even showed him some scars to prove her story. When she was finished she found that she couldn't look at him, afraid of what she might see on his face.

Hojo was sitting silently for far longer than Kagome could stand and so she finally looked over to him to see his face lacking the smile that usually sat there.

"That is very serious Kagome. Very serious and unsafe." He said, looking quite serious himself.

Kagome wasn't sure where this was going, but she had a funny feeling in her chest.

"I'll be right back Kagome, you just stay here, I need to make a phone call." Hojo rose to his feet and left the room, leaving Kagome alone.

Not being one to listen to people, no matter how reasonable they sound, Kagome rose as well and followed Hojo silently down the hall. She watched him dial and when he asked for his father on the telephone she almost breathed a sigh of relief. But then she heard him relaying a rather odd message.

"Delusion, self-inflicted injuries, I fear that she needs quite a bit of help Father." There was a pause, in which Hojo's father was speaking and then, "Yes, thank you very much, I'll make sure she stays here until they arrive."

That funny feeling in Kagome's chest blossomed into a very large and uncomfortable pressure that she couldn't get rid of. She wasn't sure who was supposed to be coming, but she knew she couldn't leave. If she disappeared now then whoever was coming would suspect something was up.

She rushed back to her bedroom and sat down, impatiently waiting for Hojo to return as well, wondering just what he was going to tell her about his phone call. Finally, he came back.

"I had to call home and let them know that I was going to be a little later then I had originally anticipated." That was his excuse, and he said it with those same bright eyes and cheery smile.

Kagome gulped, trying to swallow the lump that had formed in her throat. Hojo was lying to her, that couldn't be right. Surely he had just forgotten to mention that someone was coming over.

"Would you like something to drink? My throat's a little dry from all that talking and I'm going downstairs for some water." Kagome offered, hoping he would say no so that she could speak to her mother privately.

Unfortunately he agreed to accompany her downstairs and so they went.

"Mom? Hojo and I are thirsty, you want to help me make some tea?" Kagome asked as Hojo sat down, a pleading look in her eyes.

"Of course, Kagome dear."

Once they were in the kitchen Kagome turned to her mother and said to her in a loud whisper, "Something's wrong, I'm not sure what, but I think it has to do with the Feudal Era. I told Hojo everything and then he made a call and I…I just have a bad feeling Momma."

Mrs. Higurashi's eyes widened, "Oh dear, honey, what do you want me to do?"

"If worst comes to worst, deny everything about the past and my traveling through time. And make sure InuYasha doesn't know anything about this, okay?"

"A-alright." Mrs. Higurashi was clearly shaken, but she didn't let it show, she composed herself and finished the tea.

Not five minutes later did the doorbell ring and Kagome answered, being bombarded by a team of doctors. They had grabbed her and began to ask her questions, examining her for injuries and writing down various things.

Hojo was sitting, not wearing a smile any longer but his eyes still watched with a glowing care. Mrs. Higurashi was on her feet in an instant,

"What are you doing with Kagome? What's going on?"

"Your daughter is very sick Mrs. Higurashi, and I want her to be taken care of, so I called my father at the hospital and they've come to take her to make her better." Hojo responded, rising to his feet as well, "She has many _self-inflicted _injuries to use as proof for her fantasy of traveling through time to the Feudal Era."

Mrs. Higurashi opened her mouth to speak, but her eyes caught with Kagome's and she quieted herself, she knew that if she got involved, the whole family would be admitted and her children would be taken from her. Kagome had known something like this was going to happen and wanted to protect them.

"Hojo! How could you? I trusted you?" Kagome cried as the doctors dragged her outside, kicking and screaming.

"I told you, I'll always be here to take care of you, even if it means not being able to be near you." Hojo replied calmly, smiling faintly.

_**oOo**_

After three months in the hospital, and a couple months at home to recover from her experience, Kagome was transferred to a new school.

She was late on her first day and ran right into the teacher, knocking his glasses off and dropping her books, in front of the entire class. As she moved to go sit down, she caught sight of a very beautiful red-headed boy with the most amazing green eyes she had ever seen…


End file.
